FRAMED UP Notions of narrative A narrative

FRAMED UP

Notions of narrative A narrative is simply a story. Narrative art is art that tells a story. Much of Western art until the twentieth century has been narrative, depicting stories from religion, myth and legend, history and literature Audiences were assumed to be familiar with the stories inquestion. From about the seventeenth centurygenrepainting showed scenes and narratives of everyday life. In the Victorian age, narrative painting of everyday life subjects became hugely popular and is often considered as a category in itself (i. e. Victorian narrative art) In modern art, formalist ideas have resulted in narrative being frowned upon. However, coded references to political or social issues, or to events in the artist’s life are still commonplace. Such works are effectively modern allegories and generally require information from the artist to be fully understood.

What is meant by the «Continuous Narrative» in art? Many artworks contain a «narrative» or representation of an event. The continuous narrative is a way to tell an entire story within one artwork, the same characters show up repeatedly in order to give a timeline of events in the story. Often the same groups of characters are shown right next to each other in the same painting or sculptural frieze. These side by side scenes can be thought of as pre-cursors to modern day comic strips. They weren’t shown in different panels, but this would have been understood by contemporary audiences to be telling a story Column of Marcus Aurelius, detail ,

In the panel showing the birth of the Virgin Mary, the birth is concentrated in the lower right hand portion of the frame. However the Immaculate Conception (which refers to the fact that Mary’s mother St. Anne was impregnated by just a kiss from her husband Joachim) is shown to us in the top left hand portion. Therefore St. Anne is shown twice in the same room. However that was understood by all to have occurred at two different times within the same story; even though each event took place nine months apart. Immaculate Conception and Birth of the Virgin Mary, Domenico Ghirlandaio, 1485 -90 Narrative in the Renaissance

Spencer liked the story in St Luke Chapter 7, in which after marvelling at the centurion’s faith, Jesus heals his sick servant without entering the house. Bringing this into his own time and place, Spencer set the scene in the maid’s bedroom in the attic of his home, a room which he too never entered. Sometimes he heard strange voices coming from the room which he later discovered was simply the maid talking through the wall to another servant. Thus, the biblical narrative reminded him of experiences in his own life. Sir Stanley Spencer The Centurion’s Servant

Always aim for the audience to… Pay attention from the very beginning. Engage in the narrative to the very end. Ask a question of the work. Turn that question onto themselves. Feel changed after experiencing the narrative – in some way. David Hockney, Rake’s Progress , stage set (detail )

What Makes a Good Short? There are no hard-and-fast rules as to what makes a good short film but here a few tips that might help. An Exciting & Original Idea A Strong Script Good Acting (if you decide to use actors) High Production Values (not necessarily financial) Make It Short Strong Beginning Avoid Repetition & Punchline Twists Exciting New Techniques & Style

An Exciting Idea Original ideas are not easy to come-by but a good way of avoiding clichéd ideas is to watch lots of other short films, look out for any trends and stay clear of them (See: http: //www. bbc. co. uk/filmnetwork/filmmaking/guide/further/links-recommended-watching . Even if your idea isn’t completely original try to look at the subject matter from a different angle or using a different style/technique. Post modernism is characterised by eclecticism, pastiche and appropriation. If you’re struggling for ideas, you could try to find inspiration in your experiences or those of the people that you meet or through the stories that you read in newspapers, magazines and online. BILL VIOLA-Tempest (Study for The Raft),

A Strong Script A good script is key to narrative-based short films and in many ways it’s harder to write a short than a feature because you need to condense your story and develop your characters in a very short space of time. All too often films are let down by weak, overwritten or underdeveloped scripts. Before time and effort into shooting your film, it’s a good idea to test your script out on friends and strangers (as friends might fear offending you) and get as much feedback as you can. See: http : //www. bbc. co. uk/filmnetwork/filmmaking/guide/before-you-start/writing-a-script The Ohio Gang, 1964, oil and crayon on canvas, 1. 8 x 1. 8 m R. B. Kitaj

Potential elements of a short story

High Production Values Whilst digital filmmaking has had the positive impact of making the process more accessible and affordable, it’s important to ensure that you still apply the same production values that you would if you were shooting on film with a crew. Many low-budget shorts are let down by poor sound, lighting, camera work and editing and/or by directors who are trying to do it all by themselves without anyone else’s input. Filmmaking is predominantly a collaborative process

Strong Beginning The harsh reality is that if your film doesn’t pique the audience’s interest within the first two minutes, in all likelihood they may not sit through it till the end. Don’t waste time on lengthy introductions and credits – spark their interest in the story as quickly as you can. Credits at the start can distract the viewer so leave them out or mention them at the end. Similarly if your film starts with a long establishing shot where nothing really happens, viewers may switch off before you get to show them your great plot and idea. If the pace of your film is naturally slow and ambling, make the shots as rich and enticing as possible to draw the viewer in. Note – a good editor can really transform a film. If you’re directing and editing your own film you might be too attached to certain shots to know which bits to chop out to make your film a stronger, more coherent piece. Ispitanye (The Test)

«Life. . is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. » Macbeth, Act V, Scene v. https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=u 4 Uc. Gha. S 42 A https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=AYn. NIWKK 8 sw

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Duties in a film making crew • Research and theoretical background • Research, find and establish locations • Experiment and Find subject matter • Experiment and find the style of the film • Draw story boards. Make them look interesting • Establish equipment needs • Draw theoretical plans , schedules, deadlines , record team meetings, write reports and evaluation • Decide upon crew members. Outside help? • Establish (realistic ) budget. Manage it • Shoot a lot more than you need. Prove it in your reports • Edit • Promotion. Establish target audience • Ensure professional screening

Who does what and how do you split duties in the team? This is a students’ collaborative practice You will all do everything and share ALL the duties. You will be assessed individually

Dogme 95 was a film-making movement begun by the Danish film directors. Lars von Trier, Thomas Vinterberg, Kristian Levring, and Søren Kragh-Jacobsen in 1995. Its goal was to ‘purify’ filmmaking and rescue it from ‘bourgeois romanticism’. Central to the movement’s conception of filmmaking was the VOW OF CHASTITY, which consists of 10 rules of production to combat predictable plots, superficial action and cosmetic technological trickery.

The Dogme 95 rules 1 Filming must be done on location. Props and sets must not be brought in 2 Music must not be used unless it occurs within the scene being filmed 3 The camera must be hand-held; filming must take place where the action takes place 4 The film must be in colour. No special lighting 5 Optical work and filters are forbidden 6 No superficial action (No murders, weapons, etc. ) 7 No temporal or geographical alienation. 8 No genre movies 9 The aspect ratio must be 4: 3, not widescreen. 10 The director must not be credited

In 1960 enough was enough! The movie had been cosmeticized to death, they said; yet since then the use of cosmetics has exploded. The «supreme» task of the decadent film-makers is to fool the audience. Is that we are so proud of? Is that what the «100 years» have brought us? Illusions via which emotions can be communicated? … By the individual artist’s free choice of trickery? Predictability (dramaturgy) has become the golden calf around which we dance. Having the characters’ inner lives justify the plot is too complicated, and not «high art». As never before, the superficial action and the superficial movie are receiving all the praise. The result is barren. An illusion of pathos and an illusion of love. To DOGMA 95 the movie is not illusion!

https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=b. NURrh 81 z-8″The Five Obstructions» is a perverse game of one-upmanship between the Danish director Lars von Trier and his mentor Jorgen Leth In 1967, we learn, Leth made a 12 -minute film named «The Perfect Human. » Von Trier admired it so much he saw it 20 times in a single year. Now he summons the 67 -year-old Leth from retirement in Haiti and commands him to remake the film in five different ways, despite obstructions which von Trier will supply.

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